It’s not defeat; it’s self-care. And a breathtaking sky. Justice Marshall’s legacy lives on, and can be written about anytime. Thank you for all that you do. Have a great night!
Thank you, Professor Richardson, you deserve all the rest you can get. Let a cool Maine breeze tonight give you the energy you need to keep your incredible service to our ailing democracy going. We are so grateful for you. Thank you for the historical insight and pragmatic sanity you provide in these very troubling times.
I went to college in Maine and lived on Mt Desert Island during the summers. Buddy's photos bring back floods of memories from those years. An early riser, I caught many sunrises on the water as well as from the peak of Cadillac Mountain. The Maine coast is one of two places where upon arrival I experience a visceral reaction: My heart rate slows, my breathing settles down, and I'm enveloped by a sense of calm and well being.
In the years since, during or after periods of great stress or anxiety, I've flown to Maine for a reset. I'll climb out on some rocks and am happy to sit all day, occasionally writing, but more frequently watching the waves come in and out. These photos are the second best part of your column - but some days, given how weird things are, they're the best part of my week! Thank you.
Nature is my solace as well - I've lived in New England and the American West, and my most cherished times in life were in a kayak on flat water in Maine or Vermont, or under the Big Sky or on a trail in the Rocky Mountain Front. I am long overdue to revisit my most cherished heart-space places. As you described, the photos that are shared are a reminder of those times and a momentary balm to the seemingly perpetual, chaotic cycles we are caught in. I hope you have a good day, Scott, and I think for myself I'll be making a point to spend a bit of my day outside in one of my local parks to shake off a little stress and enjoy the cooler fall weather here in SC. 🌞
Natalie, thanks, hope you have a good day as well. I didn't get to the water but I was the first one off on the golf course this morning. Beautiful day, 65 degrees, quiet. Perfect.
Me too! I still count my time wandering through those groves as one of the single-most awe-inspiring things I have ever seen in my life. It was akin to being in a giant cathedral...you are hushed into a silence of wonder. What I would give to be there now, though one never knows what effect the fires have had on that area. Thank God, they managed to save the biggest trees!
I spent summers at camp in Tenant's Harbor St George Maine and it was the happiest time of my life. I'd give anything to be there now with no internet social media or TV. Yes I could breathe there.
Thank you for all you say. Your newsletter for October 1, was extraordinary and especially in the way it implicated our mainstream media like the NY Times in attacking the competence of Biden's administration being complicit with the republicans in undermining our democracy. Truer thoughts were never articulated as well. The ilk of Bret Stephens, Ross Doubt that and David Brooks should be at the Wall street Journal editorial board where Stephens came from.
I can't wait to read your piece on Thurgood Marshall, a brilliant lawyer and Judge. You really come to know him when you read the Pulitzer Prize winning biography by Gilbert King "Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America". He literally put his life in jeopardy to defend wrongfully charged black defendants all over the south. He is unique as a criminal defense lawyer to have reached the highest court in the land and to have brought to the job such a finely honed sense of the injustice in our our criminal justice system. It is an embarrassment to see the six republican justices there now and their intentional indifference to the inequities in our criminal justice system.
Agree and glad to see your comment underscoring the press” constant criticism of Biden’s efforts. So much at stake and they attack the person trying to save the freaking planet!
Be well. Thank you so much for your clear analyses of how our time now reflects our past US history. I hope enough of us are willing to work for an outcome of equity and justice.
Me too, Susan! Some of the comments this morning were from folks who had given up on us and the planet. Since they had no "direct descendants,' they iseemed content to enjoy their twilight years observing our demise. I had the mental image of curious aliens in orbit, casually watching us snuff ourselves!
I had to pause and get a grip on my soul. These commenters, who have as much right to be on Letters as the rest of us--and have obviously succumbed to the discouragement that haunts us all--need our help! I thought the reason us old ones are still here, is to insure a viable planet and the endurance a good existence of our species--and ALL life--for EVERYONE'S descendants!
I checked out of Letters for the day. Susan, I do hope with you that we have "enough of us willing to work...."
Yes, Gus. I participated yesterday in a local Women’s March. It was glorious! Each of us, light your flame! Without the people, there is no fight for President Biden and this administration to win. I’m in!
I know how hard it can be to keep a smile on your face - a song in your heart ... sometimes we sink so deep, we forget the sun still shines behind the clouds ... all things are moving, even in stillness ... heaven is holding all and earth is our cradle - not a grave ...
We are the horizon - as winds keep blowing and rivers of life continue to flow - over, under, around or through - water will find a way to flow - even as it evaporates into the ether ...
So, look up, people - feel the winds blow through with every breath - cleansing and refreshing ... know, the cosmos is so vast - beyond the limits of what our minds can grasp ... trust in the balance of the odds - if things could be that bad, they also can be that good ... the weighing point is found in what we choose - where we focus our energies and intentions - one breath at a time ....
Heather, Joseph Campbell, in THE POWER OF MYTH, describes the characteristics of a hero. You are my hero for your selfless dedication to being a brilliant lighthouse bringing scholarly insight to your multitude of devotees. Your sense of humanity permeates your remarkable Letters. May your light continue to shine, perhaps twice/thrice weekly, so that it’s candescence will longer guide us through these perilous times.
G. Ito's comment 38 minutes ago speaks for me too!
As far as I'm concerned, you should take weekends OFF; unless there is an emergency of some kind that could use your historical context and insightful analysis.
Thank you, Professor! Immerse yourself in that beautiful weather and recharge!
Yesterday, I got to spend the entire day with my two adult daughters, MK who is 35 and Rian, who is 29. We had decided long ago to go to Immersive Van Gogh together and though I felt very disappointed when I realized I couldn’t attend the Women’s March here in MN, just decided to take a day off from politics. It was perfect.
We started with lunch at our favorite Chinese restaurant, then to Immersive Van Gogh (which is fabulous,) then to MK’s art studio which is literally across the street from the Minneapolis venue for Immersive in the NE Minneapolis Arts District.
Both daughters went to school for fashion; MK has a certificate in Apparel Technologies from a local community college, an impressive accomplishment for someone with her learning disabilities. Rian has a degree in pattern making from the London College of fashion-yes, she is THAT good. Both women love to repurpose and refurbish clothing, and reuse scrap textiles to keep them out of the waste stream. Spending the afternoon with these creative, resourceful snd smart kids of mine was balm for the soul and energizing.
I think a lot about how much different all our lives might be going forward should Republicans prevail in 2022 and beyond. Rian is my biological child and I was a single parent for many years, able to support her on my own without any help from her dad-who communicates with his daughter about every ten years-maybe. MK is my stepdaughter- she was adopted from Korea by my late husband and his first wife. Together, We are a small, diverse family of choice- never happier than when immersed in art, good food and long conversations.
When I realized Dr. Richardson had rightly taken a day off, I felt grateful to enjoy a sunset from the Maine coast. I too love sea kayaking and there are few things more calming than viewing the brilliant colors while gliding over calm water.
Then I felt that familiar pinch that I should be doing something more to protect democracy. Sigh. Having a political conscience can be a bitch somedays…. Looking forward to learning more about Thurgood Marshall, efforts to secure the right to vote and secure women’s rights to choose their own paths. Grateful to you Dr. Richardson, for your incredible yeoman efforts to help us paddle through choppy waters. Rest well.
"Spending the afternoon with these creative, resourceful and smart kids of mine was balm for the soul and energizing." I love that you have such a delightful way to replenish your spirit!
It’s not defeat; it’s self-care. And a breathtaking sky. Justice Marshall’s legacy lives on, and can be written about anytime. Thank you for all that you do. Have a great night!
Peace. You deserve an early night. Thank you for all you do for us.
Thank you, Professor Richardson, you deserve all the rest you can get. Let a cool Maine breeze tonight give you the energy you need to keep your incredible service to our ailing democracy going. We are so grateful for you. Thank you for the historical insight and pragmatic sanity you provide in these very troubling times.
I went to college in Maine and lived on Mt Desert Island during the summers. Buddy's photos bring back floods of memories from those years. An early riser, I caught many sunrises on the water as well as from the peak of Cadillac Mountain. The Maine coast is one of two places where upon arrival I experience a visceral reaction: My heart rate slows, my breathing settles down, and I'm enveloped by a sense of calm and well being.
In the years since, during or after periods of great stress or anxiety, I've flown to Maine for a reset. I'll climb out on some rocks and am happy to sit all day, occasionally writing, but more frequently watching the waves come in and out. These photos are the second best part of your column - but some days, given how weird things are, they're the best part of my week! Thank you.
Nature is my solace as well - I've lived in New England and the American West, and my most cherished times in life were in a kayak on flat water in Maine or Vermont, or under the Big Sky or on a trail in the Rocky Mountain Front. I am long overdue to revisit my most cherished heart-space places. As you described, the photos that are shared are a reminder of those times and a momentary balm to the seemingly perpetual, chaotic cycles we are caught in. I hope you have a good day, Scott, and I think for myself I'll be making a point to spend a bit of my day outside in one of my local parks to shake off a little stress and enjoy the cooler fall weather here in SC. 🌞
Natalie, thanks, hope you have a good day as well. I didn't get to the water but I was the first one off on the golf course this morning. Beautiful day, 65 degrees, quiet. Perfect.
I have the same reaction to the Redwoods in northern California.
Me too! I still count my time wandering through those groves as one of the single-most awe-inspiring things I have ever seen in my life. It was akin to being in a giant cathedral...you are hushed into a silence of wonder. What I would give to be there now, though one never knows what effect the fires have had on that area. Thank God, they managed to save the biggest trees!
I spent summers at camp in Tenant's Harbor St George Maine and it was the happiest time of my life. I'd give anything to be there now with no internet social media or TV. Yes I could breathe there.
Amen to that.
Thank you for all you say. Your newsletter for October 1, was extraordinary and especially in the way it implicated our mainstream media like the NY Times in attacking the competence of Biden's administration being complicit with the republicans in undermining our democracy. Truer thoughts were never articulated as well. The ilk of Bret Stephens, Ross Doubt that and David Brooks should be at the Wall street Journal editorial board where Stephens came from.
I can't wait to read your piece on Thurgood Marshall, a brilliant lawyer and Judge. You really come to know him when you read the Pulitzer Prize winning biography by Gilbert King "Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America". He literally put his life in jeopardy to defend wrongfully charged black defendants all over the south. He is unique as a criminal defense lawyer to have reached the highest court in the land and to have brought to the job such a finely honed sense of the injustice in our our criminal justice system. It is an embarrassment to see the six republican justices there now and their intentional indifference to the inequities in our criminal justice system.
Agree and glad to see your comment underscoring the press” constant criticism of Biden’s efforts. So much at stake and they attack the person trying to save the freaking planet!
And inequities for women as well!
Brilliant thoughts, thanks Thomas!
Be well. Thank you so much for your clear analyses of how our time now reflects our past US history. I hope enough of us are willing to work for an outcome of equity and justice.
Me too, Susan! Some of the comments this morning were from folks who had given up on us and the planet. Since they had no "direct descendants,' they iseemed content to enjoy their twilight years observing our demise. I had the mental image of curious aliens in orbit, casually watching us snuff ourselves!
I had to pause and get a grip on my soul. These commenters, who have as much right to be on Letters as the rest of us--and have obviously succumbed to the discouragement that haunts us all--need our help! I thought the reason us old ones are still here, is to insure a viable planet and the endurance a good existence of our species--and ALL life--for EVERYONE'S descendants!
I checked out of Letters for the day. Susan, I do hope with you that we have "enough of us willing to work...."
Yes, Gus. I participated yesterday in a local Women’s March. It was glorious! Each of us, light your flame! Without the people, there is no fight for President Biden and this administration to win. I’m in!
Unitad!
Thank you for marching.
I know how hard it can be to keep a smile on your face - a song in your heart ... sometimes we sink so deep, we forget the sun still shines behind the clouds ... all things are moving, even in stillness ... heaven is holding all and earth is our cradle - not a grave ...
We are the horizon - as winds keep blowing and rivers of life continue to flow - over, under, around or through - water will find a way to flow - even as it evaporates into the ether ...
So, look up, people - feel the winds blow through with every breath - cleansing and refreshing ... know, the cosmos is so vast - beyond the limits of what our minds can grasp ... trust in the balance of the odds - if things could be that bad, they also can be that good ... the weighing point is found in what we choose - where we focus our energies and intentions - one breath at a time ....
Peace in one breath, ka
Amen. There is
much here. So much.
Yes Gus, that is our role as the keepers of wisdom. Us Boomers have entered our mentorship phase.
Gus, just as an aside, if this were a school classroom (which of course it is, in a sense), you would be the kid I'd most want to sit next to.
Heather, Joseph Campbell, in THE POWER OF MYTH, describes the characteristics of a hero. You are my hero for your selfless dedication to being a brilliant lighthouse bringing scholarly insight to your multitude of devotees. Your sense of humanity permeates your remarkable Letters. May your light continue to shine, perhaps twice/thrice weekly, so that it’s candescence will longer guide us through these perilous times.
We all enjoy your letters and of course the sunsets are bonuses !
G. Ito's comment 38 minutes ago speaks for me too!
As far as I'm concerned, you should take weekends OFF; unless there is an emergency of some kind that could use your historical context and insightful analysis.
Thank you, Professor! Immerse yourself in that beautiful weather and recharge!
I'm with Gus Koch and G. Ito on this. Please take good care of yourself.
“Truth is more than a mental exercise.”
- Thurgood Marshall
Beautiful photo!
It's not defeat to take time for yourself. Enjoy.
Spectacular!!! Thank you for this beauty and all the truth and knowledge you share. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
Yesterday, I got to spend the entire day with my two adult daughters, MK who is 35 and Rian, who is 29. We had decided long ago to go to Immersive Van Gogh together and though I felt very disappointed when I realized I couldn’t attend the Women’s March here in MN, just decided to take a day off from politics. It was perfect.
We started with lunch at our favorite Chinese restaurant, then to Immersive Van Gogh (which is fabulous,) then to MK’s art studio which is literally across the street from the Minneapolis venue for Immersive in the NE Minneapolis Arts District.
Both daughters went to school for fashion; MK has a certificate in Apparel Technologies from a local community college, an impressive accomplishment for someone with her learning disabilities. Rian has a degree in pattern making from the London College of fashion-yes, she is THAT good. Both women love to repurpose and refurbish clothing, and reuse scrap textiles to keep them out of the waste stream. Spending the afternoon with these creative, resourceful snd smart kids of mine was balm for the soul and energizing.
I think a lot about how much different all our lives might be going forward should Republicans prevail in 2022 and beyond. Rian is my biological child and I was a single parent for many years, able to support her on my own without any help from her dad-who communicates with his daughter about every ten years-maybe. MK is my stepdaughter- she was adopted from Korea by my late husband and his first wife. Together, We are a small, diverse family of choice- never happier than when immersed in art, good food and long conversations.
When I realized Dr. Richardson had rightly taken a day off, I felt grateful to enjoy a sunset from the Maine coast. I too love sea kayaking and there are few things more calming than viewing the brilliant colors while gliding over calm water.
Then I felt that familiar pinch that I should be doing something more to protect democracy. Sigh. Having a political conscience can be a bitch somedays…. Looking forward to learning more about Thurgood Marshall, efforts to secure the right to vote and secure women’s rights to choose their own paths. Grateful to you Dr. Richardson, for your incredible yeoman efforts to help us paddle through choppy waters. Rest well.
"Spending the afternoon with these creative, resourceful and smart kids of mine was balm for the soul and energizing." I love that you have such a delightful way to replenish your spirit!
One of my uncles who had a very droll wit used to say to us kids, “Sleep fast! Big day tomorrow!”
Looking forward to your insights, thank you as always.
Dave, we should all sleep fast tonight!
The hues are stunning! Thank you for all you share and teach us. Peace and sleep well.
Time for a wee poem ...
GLORY BE
LET US BEGIN ANEW
IN ALL WE DO
WITH EVERY BREATH WE TAKE
LET US MAKE OF OURSELVES
VESSELS
FOR POWERS OF LOVE
WHOLESOME AND TRUE
IT IS NOT WE WHO BREATHE
BUT ONE WHO IN AND THROUGH US BREATHES
ESSENCE OF ALL WIND EVER BLOWING
WHO MAKES THE EARTH AND ALL THINGS TURN
AND STARS TO SHINE IN PERPETUITY
SO LET US LOVE
AND SERVE THIS ONE
WHO LIVES AND BREATHES
AT THE CORE OF ALL BEING
WHO BRINGS US LIFE
WITH EVERY BREATH
WHOSE LOVE
OUR ONLY DUTY
IS TO SHARE
k. allen
10/10/2020
https://tahomahome.weebly.com/glory-be.html
Oh! Thank you for a beautiful poem, Kathleen! And sharing your expansive Knowing within the words....
Thank you too Gus ... every now and then, a gem emerges from the chaotic void ...
Kathleen, after reading your poem I visited your webpage. Extraordinary. Thank you.
What a gift you’ve giving me with this beautiful poem. Grateful on many levels… ❤️